1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for mobile code decoding. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for mobile code decoding fault recovery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals were developed to provide wireless communication between users. As technology has advanced, mobile terminals now provide many additional features beyond simple telephone conversation. For example, mobile terminals are now able to provide additional functions such as an alarm, a Short Messaging Service (SMS), a Multimedia Message Service (MMS), E-mail, games, remote control of short range communication, an image capturing function using a mounted digital camera, a multimedia function for providing audio and video content, a scheduling function, and many more. With the plurality of features now provided, a mobile terminal has effectively become a necessity of daily life.
Mobile codes are fast gaining traction as enablers for online content and services. Mobile codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards or just about any object that users might need information about. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the mobile code causing the phone's browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks. Users can also generate and print their own mobile codes for others to scan.
In order to ensure user friendliness, a mobile code (such as a 2D barcode) should be easy to decode. For this reason, mobile codes typically include an error correction scheme. If the mobile code is not scanned correctly, the error correction information can be used to reconstruct missing or erroneous data. Nevertheless, a failure to read a mobile code can still occur, even when error correction is employed. In this case, the data, including successfully decoded portions, is discarded and the user must scan the mobile code again. A user who needs to rescan a mobile code multiple times is likely to become frustrated and unwilling to use a mobile code in the future. Accordingly, a method for improving mobile code fault recovery is desired.